Who is the new Forwards Market Commission head?
Who is the richest Asian woman, who recently expired?
Who received the 2007 Malcolm Adishesaih award?
Who is the new Miss Universe?
What is the new concept of Global navy?
Which is the oil and gas company which has taken over the private oil fields and production in Venezuela?
Which company bought Covansys?
Who is the head of the Italian space agency?
Which CM in India got the Millennium development Goals award of the UN?
Who is the chief of UGC?
What are the Marine Commandos called?
Who is the head of the commission on Centre State ties?
Which university is in the development of the “cloak of invisibility”?
What is NIPER?
Who is the CARLOS THE JACKAL?
What is NTC? How many mills does it have now? What are the problem faced by it?
What is PCPIR? When was it released?
How much stake does Holcim have in ACC?
What is IMDEX 2007?
Which states form the “Gang of Four “ in Self help groups?
Who is Gordon Scott,Roman Polanski?
What is an SLP in judiciary?
Who received the Prem Bhatia award?
Who received the Florence Nightingale award?
What is backwater effect related to a dam?
Where is IISER located?
Which official of the DRDO has been appointed by the UN to report on the implementation of the UNSC resolution?
Which country has the largest Catholic population?
Who are Metric Martyr’s?
Which country leads in wind energy production?
What are VAJRA corps?
Which two directors are planning to produce films on TINTIN?
Where is the 2008 Olympics to be held?
Who is Jose Ramos Horta?
What is the 93rd amendment?
Who is the new cabinet secretary?
What is demutualization?
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Questions
Which tigers are facing extinction in Russia?
Who is the lady officer of World bank involved in scandal with Paul Wolfowitz?
In which marathon did Sunita Williams participate from the space?
What are MRO’s in aviation sector?
Who is the president of ASSOCHAM?
A new scheme for “destitute woman” to find husbands has been launched in which Indian state?
What is the name of the new airport coming in the outskirts of Hyderabad?
Who is the head of Belarus who visited India?
Who is the first Russian PM to visit Pakistan in 40 years?
Which is the latest jet fighter being sold by China to Pakistan?
What is pod casting?
What is the NMITLI program of the CSIR?
Who is the head of CSIR?
What is Jetlite?
Who are the Los Angeles times journalists who won the Pulitzer award?
Who received the 20007 Malcolm Adisheshiah award?
Who is the chairman of the national commission for minority educational institutions (NCMEI)?
Which company launched the TENEA?
What is a limbo for Christians?
Who founded the city of Rome?
Which company launched the fastest inkjet printer?
Which civil servants received the award for excellence in public administration?
Which is the largest automobile maker in India and the world?
Who is the lady officer of World bank involved in scandal with Paul Wolfowitz?
In which marathon did Sunita Williams participate from the space?
What are MRO’s in aviation sector?
Who is the president of ASSOCHAM?
A new scheme for “destitute woman” to find husbands has been launched in which Indian state?
What is the name of the new airport coming in the outskirts of Hyderabad?
Who is the head of Belarus who visited India?
Who is the first Russian PM to visit Pakistan in 40 years?
Which is the latest jet fighter being sold by China to Pakistan?
What is pod casting?
What is the NMITLI program of the CSIR?
Who is the head of CSIR?
What is Jetlite?
Who are the Los Angeles times journalists who won the Pulitzer award?
Who received the 20007 Malcolm Adisheshiah award?
Who is the chairman of the national commission for minority educational institutions (NCMEI)?
Which company launched the TENEA?
What is a limbo for Christians?
Who founded the city of Rome?
Which company launched the fastest inkjet printer?
Which civil servants received the award for excellence in public administration?
Which is the largest automobile maker in India and the world?
What Indian can learn from Oregon?
Striking a balance between land requirements for SEZ’s and protection of fertile farmlands.
The concept of capping the the SEZ can be circumvented by dividing the project into parts.
The concept of limiting the role of states can bring in the problem of land mafias who will use their muscle and money power to marginalize the rural landless laborers.
The American state of Oregon since the days of Silicon valley development have a clear vision on striking a balance between the urban growth and the rural land usage.
Growth boundaries were identified, only inside which the urban growth was allowed. New expansion projects were done on the old structures which were not used. Instead of expanding on green field areas the projects were given opportunity in brown field structures.
Lot of time was spent on planning by the planners by considering the opinion from the local communities on mega projects.
Satellite imaging and spatial database management can be very well used for deciding the land management policy of each zone.
District level spatial plans to identify growth areas for future investments along with alternative employment generation for the affected people
The concept of capping the the SEZ can be circumvented by dividing the project into parts.
The concept of limiting the role of states can bring in the problem of land mafias who will use their muscle and money power to marginalize the rural landless laborers.
The American state of Oregon since the days of Silicon valley development have a clear vision on striking a balance between the urban growth and the rural land usage.
Growth boundaries were identified, only inside which the urban growth was allowed. New expansion projects were done on the old structures which were not used. Instead of expanding on green field areas the projects were given opportunity in brown field structures.
Lot of time was spent on planning by the planners by considering the opinion from the local communities on mega projects.
Satellite imaging and spatial database management can be very well used for deciding the land management policy of each zone.
District level spatial plans to identify growth areas for future investments along with alternative employment generation for the affected people
Food shortage likely in global rush for biofuels
The global rush to switch from oil to energy derived from plants will drive deforestation, push small framers off the land, and lead to serious food shortages and increased poverty unless carefully managed.
The UN report compiled by all 30 of the world agencies points to crops like palm oil, maize, sugarcane, soya and jatropha. Rich countries want to see these extensively grown for fuel as a way to reduce their own climate changing emissions.
Their production will stabilize the price of oil, open up new markets and lead to higher prices for food.
Last year a third of the entire maize crop went to ethanol for fuel. EU wants a 10%of all fuel must come from biofuels.
Some positives are that it can be very beneficial to poor countries. But a UN report acknowledges that forests are already being felled for plantations of palm oil. Environmentalist argue an irreversible consequence.
Global food prices tend to increase because of the shortage.
The UN report compiled by all 30 of the world agencies points to crops like palm oil, maize, sugarcane, soya and jatropha. Rich countries want to see these extensively grown for fuel as a way to reduce their own climate changing emissions.
Their production will stabilize the price of oil, open up new markets and lead to higher prices for food.
Last year a third of the entire maize crop went to ethanol for fuel. EU wants a 10%of all fuel must come from biofuels.
Some positives are that it can be very beneficial to poor countries. But a UN report acknowledges that forests are already being felled for plantations of palm oil. Environmentalist argue an irreversible consequence.
Global food prices tend to increase because of the shortage.
The 123 agreement has nothing to do with energy
Nuclear power contributes less than 3 % of India’s energy consumption basket. Even if the most optimistic projections work out the figure is not expected to rise beyond 8 to 10% by 2020.
The share of this may be a key factor in India’s long term energy basket but for the short and medium term, there is no getting away from the conventional sources. Put another way the nuclear deal with the US might be welcome as an additionality, the more pressing task for Indian energy diplomacy is to work in tandem with our neighbourhood and extended neighbourhood to ensure stable supply of oil and gas.
Indeed the challenge is to harmonize the short and medium term with the long term so that there are no zero sum games. India needs to have a constructive energy relationship with the US, Iran, China, Russia, CIS,Myanmar.
If increased access to nuclear reactors comes at the expense of the diminished access to other forms of energy, the gains will get cancelled.
The nuclear deal is about a strategic partnership extending to business and technology. The deal will help India to be absorbed into the world order as a major power, which till now has not been completely possible. And not only the Indian establishment is not used to think about the world in strategic or structural terms.
Nicholas Burns wrote in an article that :India is likely to be one of our two or three most important partners” in the years to come on a par presumably with the top two-UK and Japan.
There are 4 deliverables that the US has in mind:
1) The least objectionable one is that to bring India out of its self imposed isolation to a nuclear deal which will help the US companies to make billions from the reactor business.
2) The defense relationships to be established to respond to the global contingencies like the post Tsunami naval effort by India, US,Australia and Japan.
3) The 126 advanced fighters India is to buy.
4) To participate India in multilateral military operations and undertakings not the sort of Iraqi type.
5) Also an energy type with CIS states to ensure supply of oil and gas there by excluding IranThis factor has of course been taken by Russia and China during the trilateral meeting with India.
6) Isolation of Iran at any cost.
The share of this may be a key factor in India’s long term energy basket but for the short and medium term, there is no getting away from the conventional sources. Put another way the nuclear deal with the US might be welcome as an additionality, the more pressing task for Indian energy diplomacy is to work in tandem with our neighbourhood and extended neighbourhood to ensure stable supply of oil and gas.
Indeed the challenge is to harmonize the short and medium term with the long term so that there are no zero sum games. India needs to have a constructive energy relationship with the US, Iran, China, Russia, CIS,Myanmar.
If increased access to nuclear reactors comes at the expense of the diminished access to other forms of energy, the gains will get cancelled.
The nuclear deal is about a strategic partnership extending to business and technology. The deal will help India to be absorbed into the world order as a major power, which till now has not been completely possible. And not only the Indian establishment is not used to think about the world in strategic or structural terms.
Nicholas Burns wrote in an article that :India is likely to be one of our two or three most important partners” in the years to come on a par presumably with the top two-UK and Japan.
There are 4 deliverables that the US has in mind:
1) The least objectionable one is that to bring India out of its self imposed isolation to a nuclear deal which will help the US companies to make billions from the reactor business.
2) The defense relationships to be established to respond to the global contingencies like the post Tsunami naval effort by India, US,Australia and Japan.
3) The 126 advanced fighters India is to buy.
4) To participate India in multilateral military operations and undertakings not the sort of Iraqi type.
5) Also an energy type with CIS states to ensure supply of oil and gas there by excluding IranThis factor has of course been taken by Russia and China during the trilateral meeting with India.
6) Isolation of Iran at any cost.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Proven success of reservations in Tamil Nadu
The long presence of the reservation system in the state is one of the many reasons for its better show in health and education. Its century old social justice movement has aided state intervention o benefit the poor and the needy.
All the parties expressed shock over the supreme cout judgment.
Madras presidency was the first to use reservation as an instrument of affirmative action to ensure justice to the deprived.
In the early 20th century “Periyar” and the Dravidian movement worked for reservation for the oppressed caste, based on which a government order was passed giving a 44% reservation for all non Brahmins,16%each to Mohammedans, Christians, Brahmins, and 8% to Scheduled casts.
Later Kamaraj took the struggle and helped in getting the article 15 and 16 to be amended, which empower the states to provide reservation for the educationally and socially backward classes.
Successive govt have increased the reservations and taken it 69%, which is against the 50% compliance of the Supreme Court ruling. In view of this ruling the state passed an act in 1994 to include the reservation act in Schedule 9.
The allegation that reservation tends to decrease the quality of education by the fact that best medical and professional colleges are in southern states.
All the parties expressed shock over the supreme cout judgment.
Madras presidency was the first to use reservation as an instrument of affirmative action to ensure justice to the deprived.
In the early 20th century “Periyar” and the Dravidian movement worked for reservation for the oppressed caste, based on which a government order was passed giving a 44% reservation for all non Brahmins,16%each to Mohammedans, Christians, Brahmins, and 8% to Scheduled casts.
Later Kamaraj took the struggle and helped in getting the article 15 and 16 to be amended, which empower the states to provide reservation for the educationally and socially backward classes.
Successive govt have increased the reservations and taken it 69%, which is against the 50% compliance of the Supreme Court ruling. In view of this ruling the state passed an act in 1994 to include the reservation act in Schedule 9.
The allegation that reservation tends to decrease the quality of education by the fact that best medical and professional colleges are in southern states.
“Ice breaking” visit:
Wen Jiabao is the first Chinese premier to visit Japan in 7 years.
Shinzo Abe has worked vigorously to stabilize the relations. He has not visited the controversial Yasukuni shrine which is a memorial of the Japanese war heroes including 14 war criminals.
Given the tension in the region due to the nuclear programs of North Korea ,any further problems between the two countries will only exacerbate the already delicate balance of power in the area.
There are a number of unresolved issues like the dispute over the gas fields exploration rights in the East China Sea, and the Taiwan issue.
China continues to oppose Japan’s bid for a permanent seat on the UNSC even as Tokyo is openly against the lifting of the EU’s arms embargo against China.
On the up side the two countries have become integrated giving both a strong stake in ensuring that even when tensions begin to simmer they are not allowed to boil over. Bilateral trade in 2006 was worth a whopping $207.4 billion. Japan has also invested some $58 billion in more than 300 projects across China.
In alliance with the US, Japan seems to be opposing the emergence of China in South East Asia. Taiwan remains a bone of contention.
Abe is seeking to have the pacifist article 9 of the Japanese constitution, which forbids the country from maintaining a standing army, revised.
Tokyo also continues to publicly cast aspersions on China’s military modernization programme and its purported lack of transparency.
During the visit all the points may be covered. Japanese energy savings technology and the resumption of Chinese rice exports will also be discussed
Shinzo Abe has worked vigorously to stabilize the relations. He has not visited the controversial Yasukuni shrine which is a memorial of the Japanese war heroes including 14 war criminals.
Given the tension in the region due to the nuclear programs of North Korea ,any further problems between the two countries will only exacerbate the already delicate balance of power in the area.
There are a number of unresolved issues like the dispute over the gas fields exploration rights in the East China Sea, and the Taiwan issue.
China continues to oppose Japan’s bid for a permanent seat on the UNSC even as Tokyo is openly against the lifting of the EU’s arms embargo against China.
On the up side the two countries have become integrated giving both a strong stake in ensuring that even when tensions begin to simmer they are not allowed to boil over. Bilateral trade in 2006 was worth a whopping $207.4 billion. Japan has also invested some $58 billion in more than 300 projects across China.
In alliance with the US, Japan seems to be opposing the emergence of China in South East Asia. Taiwan remains a bone of contention.
Abe is seeking to have the pacifist article 9 of the Japanese constitution, which forbids the country from maintaining a standing army, revised.
Tokyo also continues to publicly cast aspersions on China’s military modernization programme and its purported lack of transparency.
During the visit all the points may be covered. Japanese energy savings technology and the resumption of Chinese rice exports will also be discussed
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